As an acupuncturist who aims to improve the overall health of each and every one of my patients, if there is one general piece of lifestyle advice that I could give nearly everyone it would be:

Eat more whole foods, particularly vegetables.

How many serves of vegetables should you aim for in a day?

Five serves per day. “What is a serve?” I hear you ask. Check out these guidelines. Generally, a cup of raw or a 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables is 1 serve. You’ll most likely need to spread them over at least 2-3 meals. (It’s okay to exceed your vegie intake but don’t exceed your fruit intake of two serves/day due to the sugar content.)

]]>https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/how-to-eat-more-local-seasonal-vegies-each-week-food-connect/feed/0briannaburton08Researchers Find Pesticides May Increase Chances Of Having Autistic Childhttps://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/researchers-find-pesticides-may-increase-chances-of-having-autistic-child/
https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/researchers-find-pesticides-may-increase-chances-of-having-autistic-child/#respondThu, 26 Jun 2014 12:45:11 +0000http://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/researchers-find-pesticides-may-increase-chances-of-having-autistic-child/CBS Houston: LODI, Calif. (CBS13) — New findings from UC Davis researchers suggest farm pesticides may increase the chances of having a child with autism. The information in the study isn’t surprising to many families who grew up in the Central Valley and have a child diagnosed with autism. Andrew Rigopoulis loves…]]>

LODI, Calif. (CBS13) — New findings from UC Davis researchers suggest farm pesticides may increase the chances of having a child with autism.

The information in the study isn’t surprising to many families who grew up in the Central Valley and have a child diagnosed with autism.

Andrew Rigopoulis loves cars. So does his son, 7-year-old AJ, who was diagnosed with autism two years ago,

Always interested in finding clues, Andrew and his wife took close notice of the autism study that found pregnant women who lived near farms where pesticides were used had a two-thirds higher risk of having children with autism.

The UC Davis research tracked women’s addresses and determined how close they were to insecticide treated fields.

“We were able to link those addresses to a database on all of, or most of the commercial applications of pesticides in California,” said Professor Irva Hertz-Picciotto at the MIND…

]]>https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/researchers-find-pesticides-may-increase-chances-of-having-autistic-child/feed/0Featured Image -- 2161briannaburton08Super Tip Thursday: My Gums Are Bleeding, Why?https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/super-tip-thursday-my-gums-are-bleeding-why/
https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/super-tip-thursday-my-gums-are-bleeding-why/#respondThu, 26 Jun 2014 12:42:46 +0000http://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/super-tip-thursday-my-gums-are-bleeding-why/The Super Organizer Universe: ? ? The ONE thing we should be doing every day is brushing our teeth. I am going to share some facts that learned and think is important information for you too. Soft toothbrushes- we should be using soft or extra-soft toothbrushes. It lessens the chance for damage…]]>

The ONE thing we should be doing every day is brushing our teeth. I am going to share some facts that learned and think is important information for you too.

Soft toothbrushes- we should be using soft or extra-soft toothbrushes. It lessens the chance for damage to your gums and enamel. I never realized this until looked at my toothbrush and it was Medium. My gums would hurt after brushing sometimes. Once I changed to soft, that problem went away. (FYI-Hard brushes are for dentures.)

]]>https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/super-tip-thursday-my-gums-are-bleeding-why/feed/0briannaburton08Watermelon & Coconut Popsicles.https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/watermelon-coconut-popsicles/
https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/watermelon-coconut-popsicles/#respondFri, 23 May 2014 12:42:50 +0000http://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/watermelon-coconut-popsicles/Eat More Plants.: Blend watermelon. Pour into popsicle molds 2/3 of the way up. Freeze for 30-40 minutes. Blend 1 can of full fat coconut milk with 2 tablespoon maple syrup. Fill the popsicle molds to the top with the coconut milk. Freeze for 30-40 minutes, remove from the freezer and insert…]]>

Blend watermelon.
Pour into popsicle molds 2/3 of the way up.
Freeze for 30-40 minutes.
Blend 1 can of full fat coconut milk with 2 tablespoon maple syrup.
Fill the popsicle molds to the top with the coconut milk.
Freeze for 30-40 minutes, remove from the freezer and insert wooden popsicle sticks.
Freeze for at least 4 hours before eating.

After a conversation during dinner last week, I discovered that you could make your own laundry detergent. I immediately decided that this would be my project for this week. Aside from the fact that homemade laundry detergent is better for you, I needed more laundry detergent and didn’t want to spend 8 dollars on something that’s not gonna last that long.

I took the recipe from WellnessMama.com because it was simple and only contains 3 ingredients:

All of these things were fairly simple to find. I chose to use baking soda instead of washing soda because I wanted to use the baking soda for other things around the house. I picked lavender castille soap because I love how lavender smells. The whole process took about 15 minutes to grate and mix. Grating the bars of soap is actually kinda fun and a good stress reliever. Combine everything in a large bowl and mix to ensure even distribution.

RESULTS:

I used 1/4 cup of detergent per load, as recommended by the recipe. I was a little skeptical about using powdered soap ( I’ve been using liquid soap for as long as I can remember), but it cleaned everything pretty well. If you’re one of those people who feel like your laundry isn’t clean unless it smells like roses, then you may need to think of a different option. All of our smelly workout clothes smelled fresh after washing, but didn’t smell overwhelmingly like lavender. In fact, it smelled very, very, very faintly like lavender, but everything was cleaned so I didn’t mind. Overall, it was a success, no chalky residue or sticky feeling on the clothes. I’m so excited about what other natural things I’ll make in the future. I’ll keep you updated….

]]>https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/homemade-laundry-detergent-all-natural-and-easy/feed/0briannaburton08ImageImageU.s. Ranked 31st in global maternal health!https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/u-s-ranked-31st-in-global-maternal-health/
https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/u-s-ranked-31st-in-global-maternal-health/#respondWed, 07 May 2014 19:36:43 +0000http://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/?p=2100]]>Check out this link. “Today, an American woman faces the same lifetime risk of maternal death as a woman in Iran or Romania.”

]]>https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/u-s-ranked-31st-in-global-maternal-health/feed/0briannaburton08Some thoughts on #readwomen2014https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/some-thoughts-on-readwomen2014/
https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/some-thoughts-on-readwomen2014/#respondWed, 30 Apr 2014 14:48:38 +0000http://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/some-thoughts-on-readwomen2014/Pechorin's Journal: For those of you not familiar with it, #readwomen2014 is a campaign started on twitter by writer Joanna Walsh intended to get people reading more books by women. The concept of the campaign is a simple one, female writers don’t get the same critical attention as male. That’s odd, women read more than…]]>

For those of you not familiar with it, #readwomen2014 is a campaign started on twitter by writer Joanna Walsh intended to get people reading more books by women.

The concept of the campaign is a simple one, female writers don’t get the same critical attention as male. That’s odd, women read more than men (proportionally and in aggregate) and they get published in much the same numbers. So if women are published equally and women read more, why are they reviewed less?

Part of the answer seems to be that a disproportionate number of professional critics are men, and men famously are much less likely to read books by women than women are books by men (which is both bizarre and frankly depressing). Another part is marketing and perception.Women’s fiction is often given “girly” covers with pastels and sometimes cute taglines. If you’re male those covers are profoundly offputting.

]]>https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/some-thoughts-on-readwomen2014/feed/0briannaburton08Country Girl, City Problems: Learning to thrive when the soil is dryhttps://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/04/18/country-girl-city-problems-learning-to-thrive-when-the-soil-is-dry/
https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/04/18/country-girl-city-problems-learning-to-thrive-when-the-soil-is-dry/#respondFri, 18 Apr 2014 16:30:22 +0000http://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/?p=2093Continue reading Country Girl, City Problems: Learning to thrive when the soil is dry→]]>

Ah, what a lovely spring day! A nice breeze is blowing through my window. I’m surrounded by plants that I’m nurturing myself. The sunlight and its Vitamin D rays are giving me life. The sound of the birds seem to levitate me, until the sound of an ambulance brings me back to reality. My ears shift gears into city mode, and I suddenly hear the constant sighing-like sound of the highway in the distance. No matter what time of day, that sighing never ceases. I gaze at my house plants to give me a sense of comfort. The picture window in our apartment allows for the maximum amount of sunlight, but day is fading, and my sense of contentment fades with it.

I hear an owl, it makes me smile. But the motorists on the highway are determined to drown out this little piece of country for me. I don’t ever want to seem ungrateful. Everyday that the Lord gives is a reason to be thankful. But I miss it!

I miss land that is mine; privacy aided by the trees of the forest. I miss the sweet, seasonal scent of the honeysuckles that drives me like a zombie to lick its nectar. I miss seeing deer and wild turkey; nature’s neighbors just as it was intended to be. I miss the plush of the green grass beneath my feet; a cool, gel-like, soothing sensation that would ease away any pain. I miss playing music as loud as I can because there’s nobody below, above, or beside me to complain. However, there’s still a sense of community in the country. Individualism kills community in the city.

Just as animals adapt to their surroundings, so have I to city life. I have a plot in the community garden. Each plant is my baby, and I love them equally. I work hard to see them reach their full potential. There was a period of time when I was frustrated because I couldn’t figure out how to make our apartment more cozy. I started growing things inside and that green eased my anxiety. Walking around the neighborhood gives me the opportunity to look at the trees and not at the vacated building across from us. I shop at produce stands and farmers markets to support people who are like me and appreciate the country life.

I know living here is only temporary as my husband finishes up his Master of Divinity. However, he is just as much a city mouse as I am a country mouse. He was born in Brooklyn and thrives in New York City. Just as sunlight and open air give me life, city sounds and the hustle and bustle give him life. We are polar opposites on ideal living situations, but we come together on 3 things: love for Christ, love for each other, and love for people. These are the driving forces of our lives.

Graduation is a little over a year away, and we frequently discuss our next move. Because I love him and the work he does for Christ so much, I’m willing to make compromises so that he can thrive. And he is willing to do the same for me. Not too long ago, I would kick, cry and scream when things weren’t going my way. I was selfish and believed that everyone was just like me. “Why wouldn’t anyone want to do what I like? I’m great!” Nevertheless, life has taught me to thrive no matter the circumstances. Love has melted away immaturity and stubborn ways. I’m exactly where I need to be, and I have the God-given tools to get through anything. AND I have an awesome life partner to help me along the way. Whether we end up as country bumpkins or city cats, love will lead the way.

]]>https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/hasbro-childrens-hospital-study-finds-texting-program-good-option-for-teen-girls-health/feed/0briannaburton08Disease of Perception: Obesity Changes Everythinghttps://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/disease-of-perception-obesity-changes-everything/
https://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/disease-of-perception-obesity-changes-everything/#respondSat, 08 Mar 2014 03:28:46 +0000http://livingsalubriously.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/disease-of-perception-obesity-changes-everything/Nutrition Decoded: Obesity rates for adults in the U.S. have been rising since the 1960s, but only in June 2013 was obesity actually labeled as a disease. Since June, doctors and health professionals can now bill insurance companies for an obese patient. This would be appropriate in weight or dietary counseling appointments. Of course, in essence this…]]>

Obesity rates for adults in the U.S. have been rising since the 1960s, but only in June 2013 was obesity actually labeled as a disease.

Since June, doctors and health professionals can now bill insurance companies for an obese patient. This would be appropriate in weight or dietary counseling appointments.

Of course, in essence this is great for those that work with overweight and obese patients.By being able to call obesity a disease patients may be more likely to achieve their health goals!

A recent study published in the journal of Psychological Science directly contradicts the actual motivation behind classifying obesity as a disease. The study discovered that the “obesity is a disease” message seriously affected obese individuals’ perception of being able to change their weight.1

In a press release, the researchers said that the perception of obesity is powerful. As part of the study, some obese individuals…